


I Can be Anything

by Shadowedcries



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark Lord Grindelwald, F/M, Professor Tom, Slow Burn, The Deathly Hallows, Tom got the DADA position
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 03:57:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17911577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowedcries/pseuds/Shadowedcries
Summary: Defense against the Dark Arts; it had been the position Tom had always dreamed of. Being a professor at Hogwarts left him with the right amount of authority for his plans, but as the years went by Grindelwald’s influence continued to stand in his way.Never had he thought he would see the day that Albus Dumbledore would turn to him for help; let alone establish Tom into his precious order.Despite the fancy title and the order’s trust, the headmaster still feared him. Anyone who knew the real darkness that lingered inside him did.Except her.





	I Can be Anything

**Author's Note:**

> An older Tumblr one-shot of mine that I cleaned up. The prompt given to me by the lovely miss Kyoki777 after she answered one of my tumblr riddles.
> 
> I have been thinking about adding more to it and turning it into a multi-chapter fic rather than just a one shot, but im not sure yet. It would be a slow burn if I do. 
> 
> What do you guys think, should I continue?

 

  _ **Chapter 1**_

 

 

_In darkness I hide and in light I follow_

_I can be anything and yet, I am nothing at all_

  
_What am I?_

 

**_~*~_  **

 

Tom leaned back in his chair and observed the other people that occupied the room around them. The aura was heavy and their shoulders were slumped, no matter how he looked at it each one of them looked grimmer than the last. Tom bit back a sigh of annoyance and he forced himself to remember that they had just lost more people they cared for and that ultimately would impact their focus.

 

“Where do we go from here?” Tom turned his attention to the elder male at the head of the table. The blue eyes behind those half-moon spectacles were no longer shining; heavy with lack of sleep and stress. Tom, in all of his years working at the school, never saw eye to eye with Albus but he could feel pity for the fact even the elder's hair seemed more lackluster than normal.

 

Tom wasn't entirely as cold has Albus has assumed in his youth. It was true that he could not extend his full understanding of how they felt on the matter, Tom still knew enough to comprehend it was unpleasant. Death was _always_ unpleasant. His jaw tightened hastily at the thought. As must as he hated admitting it, it was something he too feared.

 

“We continue as we were, Grindelwald will set his sights on the school but he will not get passed it's wards.” Albus said with a slow sigh. “Until we have reason to believe otherwise the matter will be dealt with accordingly."

 

“You are letting your feelings cloud your judgment, Albus, with the Potter’s dead he now has _two_ out of the three deathly hallows.” Tom growled as his dark eyes narrowed on Dumbledore‘s form. He couldn't help but be angry on the matter; they were hiding, tucked safely behind the school's wards when they could be doing something to slow Grindelwald's efforts. “He will do whatever it takes to get the third."

 

“Tom, perhaps we should extend our efforts and find a way to better protect the children,” Minerva tsked in a manner that suggested, she too, disapproved but instead chose to keep her thoughts to herself. “as the defense against the Dark Arts teacher you must take charge of setting precautions.”

 

Tom hummed in agreement but his eyes remained sternly planted on the headmaster's features; his gaze spoke all the unsaid accusations towards Albus that Tom knew he could tune into if he tried.  He needed to calm himself, acting out in panic wasn't going to get him anything but trouble for his efforts.

 

Slowly his thumb dropped to caress the ring crowning his forefinger, a habit he often found himself in when he contemplated the next step against the man who wished to possess the Hallows. The first thing he needed to address was the fact the wards of Hogwarts wouldn't hold should Grindelwald choose to set his army against them. Tom was going to need a solution to their predicament and fast. There were many things he could enforce for protection around the school, and none of them were ‘light’… much like the ring in question.

 

Tom’s eyes flickered towards the aura and werewolf at the opposite side of the table. Both looked exhausted. Tom could understand that their expressions were lost to grief, but found himself curious over the pain etched into Sirius’ face in particular. _Guilt_. Tom's head dipped in curiosity as he began to contemplate what could make a careless man like Sirius feel guilty over the Potters death.

 

“Does Harry know?” Remus pulled his face from his hands, his voice raw with emotions.

 

“No,” Dumbledore whispered. “and, he won’t know… he _can’t_ know.”

 

“Harry has a right to know.” A distinct feminine voice came from the door- a door that had been locked and warded by himself. Tom frowned as he, and the rest of their group, turned to find Hermione Granger standing at the open frame. Her dark honey eyes were drawn into slits, determined not to stand down but Tom could see a slight tremble in the fingers clenched behind her back. “They were his _parents_ , you have no right to take that away from him.”

 

“Miss Granger,” Dumbledore stood and allowed the firm texture of his voice to create a more orderly tone. “I am unsure how you got in here, but I can assure you that you simply do not know the circumstances of those actions.”

 

“With all due respect, _sir_ ,” she retorted stubbornly. “The circumstances should not matter.”

 

“Tom,” Albus turn his blue gaze towards him and Tom knew instantly what was being asked of him. “Please see Miss Granger back to her quarters.”

 

Tom stood from his spot stiffly and allowed his irritation to roll through his joints. Of course, Albus was leaving the dirty work to him. He always asked more than he should of hi; Tom understood though, the headmaster was certain that he was the only one capable of this task as the rest of his group was far too pure to stray from the light.

 

“Miss Granger,” Tom's voice fell into a low sigh as he made his way to the young woman standing defiantly at the door. His hand lifted gesturing for her to vacate the space before he found a reason to make her. "after you.”

 

The look Hermione was currently giving him was almost enough to pull a smirk to the edge of his lips. Those deep eyes flickered across his face to judge whether or not he would show force if she chose to ignore him. It was rather obvious that she thought that he would have no problem choosing forceful action if he had to, and she proved it the second she shifted to allow Tom’s passage.

 

She didn’t speak when he began his stride down the hall, but Tom did catch the way she gave one last look toward the group before she chose to follow.

 

The walk to the head girl’s chambers was a quiet one. Her shoulders remained rigid as her teeth kneaded into her lower lip. Her eyes had yet to stray from his back, waiting for him to do something. Tom was rather positive her compulsion to fiddle with her nails as the silence trailed on was the only thing keeping her from speaking up. The grin he had been holding back shed itself of its bonds as he basked in her timidness. It was a rare occasion that the little Gryffindor held her tongue, so Tom found himself more concentrated on the quiet clack of nails than the actual journey.

 

“Professor Riddle?” Hermione spoke hesitantly.

 

“Ah, so she speaks again,” Tom's smirk grew as his eyes shifted to the side to catch a flush capture her warm skin. " _pity_ , I had hoped that the headmaster might have stolen your voice after that little mishap.”

 

“I know I shouldn’t have been there but-“

 

“No, ‘buts’, Miss Granger,” Tom could still feel the rush of intrigue scorching his veins but he forced his tone to drop. “It is a serious offense to break a teacher’s wards, let alone barge in on a staff meeting.”

 

“It wasn’t a staff meeting,” Hermione retorted irritably. "Remus and Sirius were there and neither of them is staff.”

 

“Their presence was none of your concern.” Tom growled out the password to her personal dormitory before shoving the door open.

 

“But-“

 

“Get _in_ ,” Tom snapped loud enough to cut Hermione off. “Before I make you, Miss Granger.” Her nose turned upwards, showing exactly how stubborn she intended to be as she complied to his order. The girl might have been the top of her classes and a ' _perfect student_ ' otherwise but she was stuck in her ways as bullheaded Gryffindor. She was the founder of something a idiotic as the ‘Elfish Welfare’ and a bloody martyr who had no intention of dropping the subject. How could she when one of her friends precious _feelings_ were at risk?

 

Tom shook his head and followed her into the small sitting room before shutting the door behind him with a well intended bang. Knowing her, they were in for a long discussion, so she might as well understand exactly how annoyed he was going to be about it.

 

“You didn’t have to follow me in here.” She growled.

 

“That is a very untrue statement, Miss Granger,”  Tom replied nonchalantly. His eyes drifted across the room, taking in piles of books that remained in close proximity. Used recently. Possibly important. "you and I both know this discussion is in need of further action." He sniffed in amusement when he caught the golden text of 'Advanced wards' taking up space on her coffee table. The book was coving the papers of her research but it was obvious that she been keeping tabs on his magic use.

 

He turned away from the sight and turned to Hermione with the knowing glint in his eyes. A low purr danced within his chest as dropped lazily onto the couch and stretched his long legs out too, pointedly, rest them on top of the book that helped her break his wards. The bushy hair witch shifted nervously under his view and waited for him to something other than make her squirm.

 

He didn't get to intimidate people often anymore; people were so set on this ridiculous idea that he could never harm a fly to be intimidated, so he couldn't help but savor the moment.

 

“Are you going to take my memory from me, _professor_?” She shifted until her posture was closed off to him, a rather poor attempt of protecting herself. Tom didn’t need proximity to tamper with someone’s mind, he just needed to hold their gaze.

 

It seemed like the little witch was in need of more research.

 

“What makes you come to that conclusion, Miss Granger?” His head dipped to the side as he gave her a quick once over. The more he took her in the more he was beginning to realize that she was far more perceptive than he gave her credit for. She knew more than she was letting on... but exactly what she knew was still in question.

 

“Neither you or the headmaster are against the use of…” She paused long enough to swallow past the dryness that almost threatened to make her voice crack. “Alternative means.”

 

“Is that so?” Tom was entirely intrigued now, she most _definitely_ knew more than she was letting on. “Do tell, Miss Granger.”

 

“Dumbledore has personal attachments to Grindelwald, he even supported Grindelwald at some point in their-" Hermione cut herself off, tongue caught on whatever word was causing the slight flush on her cheeks. " _relationship_ .” She was breathing heavier than before, a sign that her anxiety was slipping passed her strong composure. “I know that, whatever these ‘D _eathly Hollow’s_ ’ are, you are in possession of one.”

 

That was shocking.

 

An amused smirk curved his face and prompted him to search her eyes for the answers that she would be unlikely to share. The flicker of old documents clutched between her fingers left a twinkle of cream behind in her iris. Mischievous notes of gold that displayed her tendency to _'bend'_ the rules. Though it had been the dark rim enclosing the amber of her eyes that held the most interest, it was there where he saw the way she watched his small mannerisms.

 

It started small, the odd protective flicker of his thumb caressing a specific ring anytime Grindelwald was mentioned. Then came the times that she started to notice the way he did not flinch or hesitate in the description of dark magic; no, Hermione caught the cruel interest flickering passed his persona by his body language alone.

 

Clever, _clever_ girl.

 

“I am afraid that the extent of knowledge is a security risk, Miss Granger.” He stood from the couch while the words fell from his tongue with ease. He knew now that Hermione saw him more like a beast on prowl than a professor she could trust, there would never be room for compromise on the subject because she would never trust a damn word he said. The was enough confirmation on the matter in the way her posture stiffened when he moved to corner her. “Why _shouldn’t_ I take those memories from you?”

 

“Because I know what you have done to that _ring_ , Riddle,” Hermione spoke stiffly but with utter confidence.“And that is not a memory you can steal from me, I have hidden the evidence of it in a multitude of areas where I can rediscover them. I have _leverage_ on you.”

 

His grin widened and laughter swelled in the heart of his chest. The fact she had that extent of knowledge on him was interesting enough, but very idea that she had never spoken a word of it to anyone was _far_ more fascinating detail. Why would go through such effort to understand him, only to keep the knowledge to herself?

 

“Are you blackmailing me, Miss Granger?” The laughter that swelled within his chest finally fell from his tongue with a rumble. She was unafraid, which was foolish. She should have known better than to believe this knowledge alone could keep her safe. The darkness inside of his soul bubbled with excitement.

 

He wanted to know how long had the witch known. How long had she sat in his class, gritting her teeth at the irony that a dark wizard was the one teaching them how to defend against it?

 

“My, my,” Tom purred as he leaned his weight into the hands on either side of her. The action trapped her in place but most of all it showed exactly where she stood in the respective chain of things: _Below him_. “We are going to have to do something about that.”

 

Hermione sucked in a breath as she pressed back into the wall. There was a tremble on her warm skin but the witch refused to falter, she stared into his darkening gaze like a woman who could smile into the eye of a storm. There was no fear, just a set determination in her jaw.

 

“I am not afraid of you, Tom Riddle.”

 

“No,” Tom agreed with a cruel smile; the abyss of his soul began to seep from his skin, tasting her words for itself. It was a blatant lie, she was scared but not of him... not yet. “but you will be, _Hermione_.”

  



End file.
